From the garden to the table
The backyard at Peach Pointe has raised beds, a few fruit trees and a peach tree that earns its name every August. Residents who want to can water, pull weeds, pick tomatoes or snip herbs for the kitchen. Those who would rather watch can do that from a shaded chair. What comes out of the garden goes into the cooking. Peach cobbler in late summer. Green beans in July. Squash soup when the mornings turn cold.
Meals are cooked in our kitchen and served at one long table. Breakfast is unhurried. Lunch is the main meal for many of our residents, and supper is lighter. We cook for diabetic, low-salt, soft and other special diets, and we ask every resident what they like and what they will not eat.
A sample week
Every week is a little different, but here is the shape of one:
- Monday: coffee on the porch, gentle chair exercises, cookies baked after lunch
- Tuesday: watering and picking in the garden, then music hour with songs the residents choose
- Wednesday: cards and board games at the table, a crossword or two
- Thursday: a short outing when weather and staffing allow, such as a drive through the orchards
- Friday: crafts, letters to family, a movie with popcorn
- Saturday: family visits, a longer breakfast, a stroll in the garden
- Sunday: a church service on television or a visit from a pastor, a quiet afternoon, a proper roast dinner
Music, hands and minds
Music reaches people when words do not. We play the songs our residents grew up with and sing along, badly. Crafts, puzzles and cards keep hands and minds busy and give everyone a reason to sit together. Nobody is pushed to join in. A resident who would rather read by the window with a cup of tea is having a good day too.
Faith and the wider world
Many of our residents have a church home. We help them keep that link. It might be a visit from their pastor, a service on television or a ride to Sunday worship when family can take them. We also keep an eye on the calendar. Birthdays get a cake. Holidays get decorations and the right food.
An offer, never an order
Activities here are invitations. The point of the garden, the table and the music is simple: a good day, every day, for each person in their own way.